Share

EFF threaten court action if Parly joint standing committee on intelligence not set up

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), through its lawyers, have written to the speaker of Parliament for a second time requesting that a joint standing committee on intelligence be established.

In the letter, penned by the party's lawyers, the EFF claims that should Parliament fail to do so by September 27, they "will have no alternative but to approach the High Court of South Africa for a relevant order compelling Parliament to constitute same and seek punitive costs against the Speaker."

The party said that this was in light of "developments in the country involving our intelligence divisions and services", including the xenophobic attacks, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployment to the Cape Flats, as well as the Public Protector's South African Revenue Service report.

The EFF further cited constitutional obligations placed on Parliament to hold the executive accountable.

"Section 55(2) of the Constitution clearly states that, 'in exercising its legislative power, the National Assembly must provide for mechanisms a) to ensure that all the executive organs of state in the national sphere of government are accountable to it, and b) to maintain oversight of any organ of the state."

They add, "The establishment of a Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intellience [JSCI] is one such important mechanism to hold the state and its intelligence divisions accountable.

"Any delay in constituting the JSCI is therefore a direct violation of the Constitution."

The party also noted that it had previously written to the speaker on September 4 but while it received an acknowledgement of receipt of the letter it had not received any response. 

The Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso said that the matter of constituting the JSCI is receiving urgent attention from the speaker and chairperson.

"As you may be aware, in terms of the applicable legislation the appointment process creates a role for the presiding officers of Parliament, the Presidency and leaders of political parties. The necessary consultations are underway and Parliament is confident that the matter will be finalised soon," he told News24.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 567 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 808 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.88
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE